


Playing Games

by JuliaBC



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-22 01:51:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6066156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuliaBC/pseuds/JuliaBC
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As the newbie, Kate still has a long way to go to get to know the rest of her team. To her surprise, her private habit of playing games on the flights home may just be the way to do it... Kate and Reid-centric. Also published on fanfiction.net.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. After Amelia Porter

Playing Games by JuliaBC

* * *

It started as her family's tradition.

The summer Kate was entering sixth grade, her sister was in tenth and...well, not popular. She was home all the time, one of Kate's best, best friends had just moved away and suddenly they both found themselves with more time on their hands than they could find use for.

They'd always been a close family, and often played games such as Monopoly or Poker on a rainy or cold afternoon, but their aunts and uncles almost always gave them board games as presents on birthdays.

One day during that summer, Kate had brought down their box of Clue, and handed it to her sister, Elizabeth but called Liz for short.

She'd always been Liz.

"Come on, let's play this," she said, and her sister had hesitated just a moment before saying yes.

By now, years after that golden summer, Kate had inherited all her sister's board games—and there were a lot of them—and taken all the games from her parents' house when her father died nineteen months ago.

She and Meg had kept up the tradition, for her mother's love of board games was something that Meg herself could identify with. Friendly, but not necessarily outgoing, she preferred, even in kindergarten, to play Candy Land rather than have a playdate at a friend's.

And every birthday, Kate would give Meg a game, and Meg would return the favor on Kate's. On Christmas, they got each other one player games to play when the other was alone.

Chris didn't hold much with board games; the only game he'd ever play was Monopoly on a very rainy afternoon.

And after Kate's fifth flight on the BAU jet, she had reached into her go-bag and found a game inside. She remembered telling Meg how long the flights got sometimes, and her beautiful niece had remembered.

Since then, every time she left, she'd find a new game inside her bag.

This time, after a harrowing case involving a brother who murdered his sister and would have cheerfully murdered his niece, Kate reached into her bag a bit more slowly.

They'd been in the air for almost an hour now, most of the team was trying to sleep so Kate was sure she wouldn't be offending anyone by doing something alone, as once before she'd played Solitaire and Morgan had seemed a bit miffed that she hadn't tried to get a whole game together for Poker or the like.

It was a one person Clue set, titled _Clue Suspects._ She'd never actually played it before, and took a few minutes to read the instructions.

You were given a little house, Boddy Mansion, twelve little figures and a deck of cards with ten elimination clues on them.

She read one to herself. "The dead body was found in the dining room and all eleven suspects were in the mansion at the time of the murder."

She was working through it, and feeling fairly confident as she placed Colonel Mustard in the Ballroom. "Professor Plum was on the same floor as Miss Scarlet, but on the opposite end of the mansion," she murmured, and felt someone's presence above her.

"Hey, Kate," Reid said, perpetual coffee mug clutched in his left hand. "It would seem that you and I are the only ones unable to sleep right now." He spoke softly, and she gestured for him to take the seat opposite her.

"What are you playing?"

"It's a Clue game for one," she said. "Meg gave it to me. It's kind of our family tradition by now."

"I've noticed you with games on the flights," Reid said.

"Meg started packing them for me. It's always a surprise what I'll get," she said.

"Can I see?" Reid said, and she handed him a card, then slid the mansion over to him.

He scanned the card. "Mrs. Peacock was in the room next to the room Professor Plum was in. Oh, I get it. Elimination."

"Yeah," she said. "I'd finished my card. You can have a go."

He started to place the figures, and was done in what seemed like a few seconds. Kate laughed at herself for taking so long over something that Reid had figured out in moments.

"Pretty good," she said.

He slid the mansion back. "You know, I can just use the cards," he began. "And place them mentally. That way you don't have to stop playing."

"Or we could turn it into a game of who can solve one faster," Kate said, already knowing she'd lose and Reid shot her a rueful smile.

"Do you really want to?"

She smiled, shaking her head and Reid smiled too.

"I didn't think so," he said, and she split the deck.

"The red cards are harder," she commented. "So you can have that part of the deck."

He took the half handed to him, and she just watched him for a few minutes, amazed at how quickly he discarded a card and went to the next.

She started her own card, reading to herself about Mr. Boddy and Mr. Green, and the newer characters like Lady Lavender and Prince Azure when Reid placed the deck down.

"You're finished already?" She asked.

"No, I just didn't want to play alone anymore," he said.

Kate had a feeling she could learn to love Dr. Reid.

* * *

 


	2. After The Forever People

 

* * *

Honestly, Kate had no idea what to do on the plane ride home. Everyone was tiptoeing around JJ, Morgan was trying to talk to her and Kate...

Kate knew it wasn't her place. As much as it hurt to admit it, and it hurt more than she'd thought it would, she was not part of this team yet, not like that.

She couldn't counsel JJ, she couldn't give her the valuable lessons about overcoming PTSD she herself had received. JJ would not welcome her help.

And Kate understood that. She just wished the divide hadn't been drawn so clearly when they'd gotten onto the plane.

Besides that, she wasn't sure whether Reid would come over again. She knew she had no reason to expect it, but she'd been looking forward to it, regardless.

She reached into her go-bag, and was pleased to feel two objects in it.

 _Sweet, sweet Meg._ She'd been delighted to hear that someone else on the team was enjoying the games she picked, and had minded Kate's words about Reid not wanting to play alone.

Kate carefully withdrew the two cloth bags, and realized what they were.

_Rush Hour. It's appropriate, somehow._

Looking around her, she saw that everyone was busy. Hotch was doing paperwork, as he always did, Rossi was on a handheld device, Morgan was listening to music and JJ was curled up on a seat, as if trying to make the rest of the world go away.

 _I see Morgan got nowhere,_ Kate thought.

She withdrew one set from its bag, the car set. She knew that the other was a train set, but it was bigger and she didn't want to attract Hotch's attention and make him think she wasn't taking this seriously, especially after JJ's actions.

Reid sat down opposite her. She tried to not show how much this pleased her, but then gave it up and smiled a big smile at him.

"I was hoping you'd want more," she said. "Meg was, also. She packed two this time."

"How do you play this one?" He asked, looking quizzically at the square, ridged board covered in plastic cars.

"It's a maze, a traffic jam logic game," she began, reading from the packaging on the deck of cards. "It's kind of like the Clue game last time. You have to figure out where to slide the cars so that you can get this little red car out safely. When Meg was little, she loved this. She couldn't do many of the puzzles, but she'd played plays with them, little scenarios like where the driver of the red car has to get to the hospital because his wife's having a baby."

Reid chuckled. "I guess something appropriate for us would be that we're in a hurry to apprehend an UnSub."

"Yeah," she agreed, setting up the puzzle on card number 1, the easiest and, therefore, quickest. She moved a blue car three spaces, pushed back another car and made short work of the board. The red car slid to freedom, and Reid looked delighted.

"I came prepared, as I said," Kate said and took the second case from her bag. She handed it to Reid and he opened it.

"It's a train version," he said. "Nice." She saw his gaze momentarily skate to JJ, then back to his board.

He shuffled through the deck, passing the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced cards, and withdrew the Expert cards, and Kate took the Advanced cards from her deck.

"Want to try this again?" She asked, setting up card number 30.

He set up his own, fingering the small red engine. "This one is red, too," he said. "I wonder what the reasoning behind that is."

"There's also a Safari set," Kate said. "I'm pretty sure the color for the escaping car there is green, however."

"I guess they're matching them up to what they think suits," Reid said. "Red car and engine for speed and a green car to blend with the other colors."

Their respective boards set up, they slid the cars around in hopes of freeing the red car and engine.

Kate found herself really wanting to beat Reid, just once, and mocked herself when Reid slid his engine to freedom long before she was ready.

She was glad that Reid hadn't taken her teasing earlier seriously. She was glad that she'd dared to ask it, and question his mental abilities. _How many boats..._

He waited for her to finish, and his lips were twitching at her slowness.

"Shut up," she said, her cheeks flushing just slightly.

"I didn't say anything," he said, but a twinkle in his eyes made her think he knew exactly what she meant. "Unless you were talking about boats."

They tried again, Reid beat her again, and Kate mock-glared at him.

"You're good," she complained.

"Yes, I am," he said, leaning back in his seat contentedly.

"Try the hardest," she said and he accordingly set up card number 40.

This one took longer, as it included more of the train yard. Reid bit his lip in concentration, his eyes flying over the board so as to memorize the order.

Kate watched, trying to resent the ease with which he won, but finding it impossible.

"Got it," he said, and his nimble fingers went to work on the board. He moved the luggage carriers, and boxcars, the oilcars and cabooses, and the big engines that took up the same amount of space as a semi did on Kate's car set.

He slid his red engine to freedom, and smiled triumphantly at Kate. She grinned back, glad to bring such simple pleasure to his day, especially since she had a feeling he'd be talking to JJ after the plane landed, and before she'd taken it out, he'd been sitting alone, deep in dark thoughts.

Reid and Kate played _Rush Hour_ until the plane landed. Kate slid them both back into her bag, and as Reid started to exit the plane, he mouthed a _thank you_ to Kate.

She had an idea that a two-player game was called for next time.

She'd have to mention that to Meg.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: All the games are real.
> 
> Clue Suspects can be found on Amazon if you enter the keywords clue suspects. It is by Winning Moves, and not Clue.
> 
> Rush Hour can be found on Amazon if you enter the keywords ThinkFun rush hour. Sadly, the Train Yard version (my personal favorite) has been discontinued by the manufacturer and can only be bought second hand.


	3. After Anonymous

 

* * *

The case was over. Kate got up from the police station's desk and stretched. One of the officers passing gave her a rueful grin, as if recognizing the hardness of the chairs in the building.

The other team members were making their way out to the SUVs. Kate ducked into the conference room they'd used for their visit and gathered her jacket, phone and go bag.

A headache was coming on. She mentally brushed it away, not wanting to deal with it now.

Hotch was waiting, holding open the door for her and she hurried a bit.

"Thanks," she murmured, and he held her up for a moment.

"Are you okay?"

"Just a headache," she explained. "I know, I'm usually friendlier."

He smiled, just a bit. "I just wanted to make sure."

She nodded, and walked to the second SUV, joining Morgan and Reid. "I see I get the backseat," she said, opening the door as Reid, like the gentleman he was, took her bags to the back.

"You're the shortest, can't deny that," Morgan grinned.

She was surprised to see Reid get into the driver's seat. "Whoa, Morgan, did you lose a bet?"

She saw Reid grin in the rearview mirror. "Something like that," he said cheerfully.

Morgan shrugged as he buckled up. "I simply said that I didn't think he'd be any better at fishing than I was, and he proved me wrong."

"Three fish compared to Morgan's one," Reid said.

"What fish were you using?" She asked, puzzled.

"Rossi had a bucket in his office this morning," Morgan said. "Plastic, of course."

* * *

As they unloaded at the airport, Hotch walked up to her from the other car. "We're having a bit of a delay," he said. "Some sort of engine trouble. Nothing serious."

"Okay," she said, and lowered her bags to the ground. He left to tell Morgan, and she tried to stretch again when Reid appeared at her elbow.

"Hey, Kate, did you, um," he fidgeted with the strap on his bag. "Did you bring another game?"

"Yeah, I did," Kate said. "I told Meg to make sure it was a two-player."

"Oh, good," he said. "So what is it?"

"I never check," she said. "But I'll look now."

Finding the appropriate bag, she knelt to unzip it. "Aha, Othello."

"Really?" Reid asked, moving around her to see into her bag.

"Yeah," she said. "You know this one?"

"I do," Reid said. "I'm certain to beat you at it."

"Just as long as you don't tell me the number of boats in the Pacific ocean, I think I'll be fine," Kate said, grinning.

"Still holding that against me?" Reid asked.

"Definitely not, just filing it under important 'Reid' characteristics. He will be right, and he will be smug."

"I wasn't smug, per se," Reid said.

"You were," Kate said.

"I never did get my apology," Reid noted, as she slid Othello back into her bag.

"Then I'm sorry for doubting you, but not for asking the question," Kate said.

"Good," Reid said. "You should never apologize for asking a question. And I accept your apology."

"Whose words of wisdom are those? Never apologizing?" Kate asked.

"Mostly my own," Reid said. "Taken from times over the years when asking a question was an offense."

"In school?" Kate asked.

"PE, mostly," Reid answered.

Kate snorted. "I was never a fan of PE either," she said. "They focused on all the wrong things."

"So what's your exercise regime?" Reid asked. "I, obviously, don't have one."

"Your arms had to have come from somewhere," Kate said.

"Huh?"

"Your arms have muscle on them," Kate clarified. "Where'd that come from if you don't work out?"

Reid looked down at his arms. "Do they?"

Kate shook her head. "Okay. Well, what I do is twelve minutes of high intensity exercise every day."

"Just twelve?" Reid asked, but she didn't have a chance to answer as the plane was ready to go.

* * *

"Okay, so it's going to be you teaching me this time," Kate said, pulling Othello out. This was the earliest in a flight she'd ever taken a game out, but Reid had sat across from her the instant after fetching some coffee.

Morgan, in passing, saw the game. "Kate, you do realize he will beat you mercilessly, right?"

"I am prepared," Kate said, taking the board out of the box.

It was a black square, with green velvet over the top molded into an 8 by 8 board. 64 squares to fill in with double-sided pieces colored black and white, which were in ridges on each side of the board.

Kate was reading the back of the box, but Reid took it away unceremoniously.

"I can teach you," he said, placing it next to him and out of sight.

"All right," she said.

"Take two of your pieces," Reid instructed as he did the same. "What color do you want to be?"

"Um, black," Kate said. "I'm not sure I get this."

"It's really easy to learn," Reid assured her.

"Okay," she said.

Reid was placing his two white pieces in the center of the board, and gestured for her to do the same with her black. "See, it's black-white, black-white. Now I go." He placed a white piece next to her black. "My white borders your black, but on the other side of your black is another white. So, I can do this." He turned her black over. "Got it? That's literally all there is to it."

"This is easy," Kate said.

"To learn," Reid cautioned.

"Can you do the conversion diagonally?" Kate asked.

"Yes," Reid said. "And if you have a move that can convert both diagonally and horizontally, you do both."

She nodded, and watched as he played again, taking two black pieces. She played, and took three white.

"You see, it's about the math," Reid said.

"Of course," Kate agreed. "Everything is about math. Let me guess: you are calculating each move I'll make and making sure you get the most of each turn."

"Pretty much," Reid said. "See here, I just got a corner space, this early in the game."

"Is that a goal?" She asked.

"No, but it's good to get because it can't be changed."

Kate, about to place another piece on the board, hands hovering in place, stopped. "No."

"Pardon?" Reid said, raising his gaze from the board.

"I bet that you can't get all four corners," she said.

"Stakes?" Reid said.

"Simply that if I can't win, I can at least take one of them," Kate said. "It's about my personal vanity."

"Oh, okay, then," Reid said. "I'm ready, in that case. Do you want to restart, with that goal in mind?"

"No, this is fine," Kate said.

Brow furrowed, she picked up her piece again and considered for a long moment before placing it down.

"You sure you want to go there?" Reid asked. "That leaves you so open."

"I'm sure," she answered.

Eyebrows raised, he studied her for a moment then turned back to the board. "Well, I'm taking six black pieces, I hope you realize."

"I did learn to count in school," she assured him. "Just not boats."

"Still talking about that?" Morgan asked from above her, and she looked up at him.

"Can't help it," she answered. He sat down next to her.

"What are you guys playing?"

"Othello," Reid said.

"Thanks, I read the box," Morgan answered. "How does it work?"

"Watch and learn," Reid said, as Kate turned over two white pieces.

Reid went quickly on his turn, barely taking a moment to turn over only one black piece. Kate's eyes narrowed at him.

"Morgan, am I walking into a trap?" She asked.

"I don't know the game well enough to say for sure, but I know Reid," Morgan began. "You could bet on it."

On Reid's next turn, he took his second corner space. Kate bit her tongue as she considered her next move.

"Okay, if I went here," she began, picking up a piece.

"That isn't smart," Reid interrupted.

"Thank you for the advice," Kate said and placed the piece there anyway.

"I get what you're going at," Reid said. "Cause if you move there, then I will place my piece here, and you can take the place next to the corner, and then you hope I'll take your bait cause that's a five piece conversion."

She nodded, watching him talk.

"But I'm not going to place it there, and nor will I place it here," he gestured to another place. "Because that would leave the other corner open. Therefore, I will take the hard road and place where I only gain one."

Kate nodded, and their play continued. Reid snagged another corner, and Kate made a few lucrative moves where she gained a lot of black.

Reid took the last corner, and Kate took the space next to him, turning over one.

"That's the last piece," he said.

"You win the bet," Kate said. "But not the game."

"What?" Reid said, and looked down at the board. "Kate!"

The score was 33 to 31, black in favor.

"Hold on a minute," Reid said, placing his hands on his temples. "Let me remember your moves... You hustled me, Kate."

"I did?" Kate asked, trying to look innocent but failing. "No, I didn't. I merely made a bet that distracted you from the real goal."

"You've played this before!" Reid said. "You said you hadn't!"

"I have not played it before!" Kate protested. "Pinky swear!"

Reid shook his head. "Hustler," he muttered, before getting up and leaving.

Kate stared after him. "Did I go too far?" She asked Morgan, whose body next to her was shaking with laughter.

"No, it's fine," Morgan assured her. Kate watched Reid fetch a book and settle into a seat, alone.

"He'll beat you next time," Morgan said. "He just needs a few minutes to sulk. Here, let me show you something."

He pulled out his phone, and was showing her a video when Hotch walked up.

"Estelle's transplant was a success," he said.

"Do you think she'll ever find out that she has her father's liver?"

"Well, the directory that was in Cosgrove's desk said that the donor would remain anonymous."

"She's gonna know he was a killer, though," Morgan interjected. "And why he was doing it. The math can't be that hard."

"No, but as we know, there are some truths the brain refuses to process," Hotch answered.

Sobered, Kate nodded. "I wonder how Rossi's doing," she said, changing the subject.

Hotch didn't answer, just leaned back in his seat.

After a moment, he sat back up. "Wait a minute, is that Othello?"

"Oh, do you know it?" Kate asked.

"Who was black?" Hotch said, adding up the pieces.

"Me," Kate answered.

"So Morgan was white?" Hotch asked, starting to put the pieces back into his tray and Kate followed suit.

"No, Reid was," Kate said.

"But white lost," Hotch answered, continuing to put the pieces away, and his hands stilled. "You beat Reid?"

The answer came from the back of the plane, loud and clear. "No, she hustled me."

Hotch's eyebrows raised. Kate looked down at her lap, fighting a grin.

"Do you want to try me?" Hotch asked.

"Sure."

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: All the games are real.
> 
> You can find Othello on Amazon, if you search the keywords othello game mattel.


	4. After Nelson's Sparrow

 

* * *

It was with hands that shook with trepidation that Kate knocked on the door to Reid's apartment. Would he welcome her intrusion? Was this the right thing to be doing?

But...

She couldn't deny what she'd seen in his eyes as they'd left, and how he'd fingered the chess set.

This would be the first time she had picked the game, and not Meg.

She knocked again, and waited, but exhaled in one big whoosh when she realized he wasn't there.

Or wasn't answering.

She turned around and started down the stairs, facing the ground and concentrating on the movement her feet made on the steps.

"Kate?"

She jerked up her head, and met the surprised gaze of one Spencer Reid, who was coming up the stairs with a bag full of groceries.

For once, she didn't have to look up to see his face.

"Reid," she said, and then moved to the side. "Sorry, I'm in your way."

He continued up, smiling at her. "I suppose you're leaving because I didn't answer the door."

She nodded, still nervous.

"Come on up," he said. "You've never seen my apartment, have you?"

"I've..." she trailed off, concentrating. "I've only been to Rossi's place."

Reid shifted the bag of groceries to one arm, to reach his keys.

"I can take that, while you look," Kate said, jumping forward, but Reid found the keys and unlocked the door.

The first thing she noticed was the huge window, partially covered with a yellow curtain. The late afternoon light filtering through gave the apartment an enchanted feel.

The next thing was the bookshelf that entirely covered one wall. She walked forward, in awe. "You—"

"Yes, I've read all of them," Reid said, putting the bag down.

"No, you own all of them!" She corrected. "You've been able to find a first edition _Great Expectations_?"

"That was from Rossi, actually," Reid said, walking over to finger it.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Stick around for long," Reid began, walking back into his kitchen, "and you might get something priceless from him too."

Kate scoffed. "That wasn't why I 'wow'ed," she said, following him. "What's all this?"

Reid was unpacking his bag; getting out pasta, onions, tomatoes and bread. "This is something that...Gideon...used to make."

"Oh," she said, suddenly realizing what he was doing. "Can I...can I stay?"

He looked up, and she saw the tears bright in his eyes. "Yes, please do. You can make the garlic bread."

She nodded quickly, and went to the sink to wash her hands.

Reid was starting to chop the onions.

Kate fingered a fresh clove of garlic. "Do you want fresh garlic for it?"

"Yes, I bought enough for the sauce and the bread," Reid said. "But I only have one knife so I need to do that."

She peeled the garlic, and handed him one clove. He broke it, and chopped it up, then handed it back to her.

"Real butter for the bread?"

"Yes," he said. "I left it to thaw before I went shopping. It's over by the toaster."

Kate nodded, and jumped into action. Before long, the bread was in the oven and the pot on the stove was gentling bubbling.

Reid wiped his hands. "Now we just wait for the pasta to boil," he said.

He walked back to his living area, flicking on the light switch as he walked past, making Kate realize how much time had passed.

She'd told Meg she might not be home for dinner, but she didn't think she really wouldn't be.

"What did you bring?" Reid asked, gesturing to the flowered bag on the floor.

Kate hesitated, and then bent to pick it up. "So...there was no plane ride this time."

"No, there wasn't," Reid agreed, sitting down in an armchair.

Kate chose a chair across from him; there was now a small table between them.

"And, well, I thought you'd probably already have your own set, but..."

She slid the game from the bag. Reid stiffened.

"Chess."

"Lord of the Rings chess," Kate corrected, her voice very quiet.

Reid blinked, staring at it. "The market value for that is at least five hundred dollars." He looked up at her. "I didn't realize you were a fan of Tolkien."

"I am. I like _The Hobbit_ better than the _Lord of the Rings_ , though" she said. "I can relate to the snarky Bilbo Baggins better than the innocent Frodo."

Reid laughed, a rather choked sound.

"I really wasn't sure," Kate began. "I wasn't sure you'd want to play so soon after, especially since...you didn't complete the checkmate at Gideon's."

"No, I didn't," Reid said. "Let me just go check the pasta. Could you set it up?"

Relief flooded her. "Of course."

Her fingers moved quickly, clumsily, putting all the knights and rooks, bishops and pawns, kings and queens in their places.

Reid returned, bearing steaming bowls.

"I bet that I can get checkmate in..." Reid's voice trailed off as he set the food down, his eyes shooting over the board and then onto Kate herself.

"Five moves," Reid finished,

Kate snorted. "I resent that. I've played this before."

"That's fine," Reid said. "Let me just beat you."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Okay. Am I white?"

"Sure," Reid said, slurping the spaghetti.

Kate moved her first pawn, two spaces.

Reid raised his eyebrows as he countered her move.

It was a slow game. Kate was taking as long as she could before making it to the fifth move, and considered each move long and hard before daring to move her piece.

Reid took the dishes back into the kitchen, and she followed him to wash her hands again.

Returning to the game, she was quickly and mercilessly defeated, and was relieved to see smug Reid glancing up at her at the end.

"Five moves," he grinned.

"You win," she said, throwing her hands in the air. "What do I lose?"

"Your personal dignity," Reid said. "And admit that you hustled me during Othello."

"Hustle is a bit of a strong word," she protested. "But I did make the bet to purposely distract you."

Reid's fingers caressed a chess piece. "Thank you," he said earnestly, meeting her eyes through his hair.

The smile that came was slow and tender. "You really are welcome," she murmured, and Reid smiled back.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Chess. LOTR chess can be found on Amazon, and is indeed five hundred simoleons. Good luck funding that :P
> 
> I can definitely see Kate as a Tolkien fan, just maybe more of the movies than the books. But I admit the Hobbit preference was all me.


	5. During Hero Worship

 

* * *

"No, that's okay," Kate said, flustered. The deputy continued to follow her.

"I don't mind," he said. "You're hot. Let me take your bags."

"It's not needed," she said, a note of finality in her voice, and he backed off.

Shaking her head, she slung the heavier bag over her shoulder and walked out to the SUV. Because of time complications, she was the second last to leave, and stood waiting at the SUV for JJ to come out.

"Hey," she said, when the tall blonde finally emerged.

"You're all that's left?" JJ asked, surprised.

"Everyone's gone to the hotel already," Kate confirmed. "Hotch was going to wait, but remembered that he had to call Jack's teacher and had to go with the others."

JJ nodded. "Right. You want to drive?"

"Sure," Kate said, surprised, and walked around the car to the driver's seat.

JJ was already seated in the passenger's. "Here are the keys," she said, fishing them from her purse.

"Great," Kate said. She took a few moments to pull the seat forward, and saw how JJ noted it.

"I'm short, what can I say?" She joked, and JJ turned away.

Kate pulled away from the curb, and silence fell over the two inhabitants.

JJ was looking out the window, and Kate didn't know if she should say something, and turned on the radio.

"What station is this?" She asked, when rock blared. "Who was last driving this?"

"Me," JJ said tightly. "Heavy rock can calm me."

"Oh," Kate said, her hand darting to turn it off but she pulled it back. The music continued.

Kate again wondered what to say, but finally realized words wouldn't be adequate.

* * *

As luck would have it, all the team members had got their own rooms, something rare since budgeting rarely allowed for it.

Kate dumped her bags on the floor the instant she walked in, and then flopped on the bed, giggling when it bounced.

She wondered what JJ would say to that and sat up.

 **Hey, Meg,** she texted, after finding her phone. **I'm at the hotel. Wanna talk?**

 **Homework,** Meg replied. **And I'm going to my book club next, remember?**

Yes, Kate did remember. After showering and changing into jeans and a t-shirt, she slipped flip flops on and went to her bag, planning to grab a book.

Her hand bumped into a game box, and her brain perked up when she saw it.

 _Ask Reid if he wants to play,_ a little voice urged, and Kate took the box as well as the book.

 **Hotch, what is Reid's room number?** She texted, and he replied in seconds.

**243\. Why?**

**I'm going to hustle him again,** she replied.

 **Same game?** He asked.

 **No, different.** She replied, slipping her hotel key into her jeans pocket.

**Good luck.**

She walked down the hallway, and knocked on Reid's door. No answer. She knocked again, but gave up and headed for the stairs.

As luck would have it, she met Reid on her way down.

"You're wary of elevators too?" Reid asked brightly.

"Walking up and down stairs is very healthy," she replied.

"What's under your arm?"

"Our next game," she said. "If you want to play."

"If you don't plan to hustle me again," he said.

"Well, that's what I told Hotch but it wasn't meant to be taken seriously," she answered. "Want to play in the lobby?"

"Yes," Reid said. "I was going to find someone to come down. There's much better coffee down there."

They walked down together, and Reid held open the door. "Thanks," she said, walking through to the open, brightly lit lobby. Outside, the sky was getting steadily darker.

They made their way to a small table by the wall. Reid turned on a little lamp above it, then straightened. "I'm getting some more coffee. Want anything?"

"What do they have?" She asked, placing the game on the table.

"Coffee, tea, apple and cranberry juice," Reid said.

"Tea," she said. "Thanks."

"No problem."

She considered the back of the box for a moment, then placed it back down when Reid came returned, bearing two steaming styrofoam cups.

"For you," he said, handing it to her.

"Thanks again," she said, taking it. "I really hate styrofoam cups."

"Tell me about it," Reid joked. "So, _Guess Who?_ What's this about?"

"Figure it out," she said jokingly, tasted her tea and burned her tongue.

* * *

He surveyed the two colored trays, upon which were twenty-four pictures attached on swinging doors. "I try to guess who you have, and turn down the ones you aren't," he said. "I'm assuming through the process of elimination. I ask whether your person has red hair, if you say yes, I turn down the ones that don't."

"Exactly," Kate confirmed. "But the version I have is terribly sexist. Out of twenty-four, only six of them are women. Therefore, Meg and I banned asking any gender related questions during your first three turns. And because I'm playing with a profiler, the choice will be completely random."

"Okay," he said, watching as she picked a face card from the box without looking at the picture side.

"You pick one too," she reminded. "We're playing against each other."

"Oh!" He exclaimed, and grabbed a card from the box. His alter ego's name was Sarah. She was African-American, with red glasses, brown eyes and white earrings, those being her distinguishing marks."

He studied the rest of the players on his board. Zachary, Matt, Justin, Sarah...

Kate cleared her throat. "You ready? How about first to reach five wins? That's what the little scoreboard on your tray is for."

"Sounds good," he said, rubbing his hands in anticipation. "You can go first."

She glanced at him suspiciously, but then turned her attention to her board. "Okay. Does your person have...red hair?"

"No," he said cheerfully, and down went her red.

His mind whirring, he asked if her player had glasses and she said yes. Down went nineteen faces.

* * *

She looked at the number in dismay. Reid was obviously stifling the urge to laugh.

"Are you...African-American?" Kate asked.

"Yes, I am," Reid replied.

"What the hell kind of a question and answer is that?" Morgan asked, coming up behind them. "Oh, _Guess Who?_ I get it." As before, he pulled up a chair and sat down. "Okay, Shorty. Who's winning this time?"

"We're nowhere near that yet," Kate answered.

"Do you have red hair?" Reid asked.

Kate hesitated before answering. "Yes."

Reid crowed as all the faces on his board went down but one. "Gotcha!"

"Wait til your next turn," Kate scolded. "You haven't won _yet._ "

"I kind of have," Reid smirked.

Morgan crossed his arms, grinning. "He's getting you back sooner rather than later, eh?"

Reid waggled his eyebrows and Kate rolled her eyes. "That seems apparent."

Kate considered her choices. "Do _you_ have glasses?"

"I do indeed, but it doesn't matter, _Joseph,_ " he said.

She nodded and picked up her card to show him. "Joseph indeed."

"Do you want to play until you guess mine?" Reid said.

"Oh, sure," she said, stretching the word out. "Do you have earrings?"

"Isn't that a cheat?" He asked. "Because it has to be a woman."

"This is my fourth turn," Kate said.

"Fine, then my answer is yes," Reid admitted.

"Sarah?"

"I am indeed," Reid answered.

As Morgan watched, still amused, they tipped their boards upside down to reset them, and picked new cards.

Reid moved his score marker up to one.

Kate gritted her teeth and prepared for the next round.

* * *

Five games later, Reid having won all but one game and now reaching five on his score marker, Kate leaned back.

"Let's put a Profiler's spin on it," Reid suggested. "We both specially select a card and have to profile who we picked."

Kate nodded. "Let's do it!" She watched as Reid picked up and discarded several cards, finally settling on one.

She then did the same, ending up with Ashley.

Reid's mind was obviously working double time, and he'd even put his fingertips on his temples.

"How many guesses do we get?" Kate asked.

"Three," Reid answered immediately. "Okay, I know you're a woman."

"That's the hardest to guess," Morgan cracked, laughing in the background. He leaned forward and Kate let him peek at her card.

"That's not fair," Reid protested.

"He's not playing," Kate answered, Reid opened his mouth but closed it again.

"Okay, you wouldn't pick Megan," Reid mused. "And with further profiling, it has to be Rachael or Ashley."

"My turn," Kate quickly interrupted. "I think you'd go as far from you as possible, but not too far because that would be too obvious, so it's not a woman. Then you'd have to not go the African-American route because you've already played as Sarah, Andy and James. That leaves Jake and Chris."

"It does?" Reid asked, his eyebrows hiking up. Morgan shifted his chair to look at Reid's card, but Reid jerked it out of sight. "Um, no!"

"Fine," Morgan grumbled.

"Further profiling tells me that you too would go out of the ordinary, so you wouldn't pick Rachael because she has brown hair, which is closer to yours than Ashley's, so I'm going with Ashley."

"Jake," she chanced, and he shook his head. Sighing, she laid her card down. "It was Ashley. Are you Chris, then?"

"Not in the least," Reid said, almost giggling.

"Shit," she muttered. "I was that far off?"

"You were," Reid nodded. "But keep guessing."

"Profiling," Morgan corrected.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" Kate asked him.

"I even texted JJ to join us," Morgan answered.

"What'd she say?" Kate asked, interested. Reid also turned to face Morgan.

"She's talking to Will," he answered.

They turned back to the game. Kate inhaled a bit. "Okay.

She bit her tongue, considering things. "Okay. I think I got it. Brandon."

"You just made it," Reid said, laying down his card.

She sighed in relief. "Five more to go?"

Reid winked.

* * *

After their round of _Profiler Who?_ had been exhausted, Morgan came up. "I have an idea," he said. "And it will let all of us play. I'll pick a card, and you guys ask questions from me. To make it harder, you can't hear the others' questions."

"That sounds good," Reid said. "Random pick?"

Morgan palmed a card, and checked out his choice. "Random's fine."

"That's such a tell," Reid said, but it didn't seem to bother Morgan as he sat down again.

"Wait, how are we doing this?" Kate asked. "Should I plug my ears when Reid goes, or should we whisper...?"

Morgan laughed out loud. "Whisper your little secrets to me, my children. I will give you the knowledge you need to find—Quick, Reid, what's a mythological precious thing?"

"Philosopher's stone?" Reid offered.

"Good enough," Morgan said, with a shrug. "The one who wins get a philosopher's stone."

Kate cracked up. "Where are you going to get it?"

"Well, you owe me money, Callahan. Maybe I'll extort it from you."

"I don't have a philosopher's stone!" She protested, as Reid got up.

"I'm going first," he said, checking with her and she nodded. He whispered his question, and Morgan cracked up.

"No, but good grief, don't stand so close. Are you trying to tickle me to death?"

Kate stepped forward. "Do you have red hair?"

Morgan nodded, and she returned to her seat triumphant. Reid's eyes narrowed at the number going down, compared to his four.

They played on. Morgan was obviously restraining himself from wild laughter every time they asked a question, and when Kate won, he exploded.

"You guys are hilarious," he said. "You obviously didn't plan it, but after his first question, he was repeating yours, Callahan."

Reid's eyebrows hiked up. "I most definitely was not."

Kate choked on her tea at his insulted tone.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that," Reid hurriedly assured her.

"I know you didn't," she said. "You just sounded so scandalized that that could ever be the case."

* * *

Half an hour later, after a few more rounds of _Morgan Who?,_ they had switched places and now Reid was beating Morgan. She idly checked her phone and found a text from Hotch.

**You still with Reid?**

She texted back quickly. **Yeah, now I've got Morgan, too.**

 **You're starting quite a little harem,** Hotch replied and she grinned. **You playing in the lobby?**

**Yes.**

**Ready for dinner?**

**I'll ask Morgan and Reid,** she replied, and lowered her phone, surprised to see them both looking at her as though she'd betrayed them.

"We're playing here," Morgan scolded.

"Sorry!" She exclaimed, holding up her hands. "That was Hotch."

Both their respective pairs of hands dropped to their phones immediately. "No, it's not the case," she interrupted. "He just wants to know if we're ready for dinner."

They both relaxed; she saw the tension melt from their shoulders again. "Sure," Morgan said. "Just as soon as I beat Pretty Boy here."

Reid snorted. "Come on, Morgan, we all three know that's never going to happen. I've beat you four times now."

"This is my lucky game," Morgan replied, as across the lobby, the elevator dinged and Rossi got out. Kate quickly texted Hotch, before she forgot. **Come on down, Morgan just has to beat Reid.**

Upon seeing them, Rossi headed for their table. " _Guess Who?_ Who's winning? Don't say guess, that's a really bad play on words."

Morgan chuckled. "I am."

"He's not!" Reid mouthed, waving his hands to distract Rossi.

In a question, Morgan got his number of faces down to one. Reid looked at it in dismay.

"I have to guess," he said. "One guess to beat you."

"You won't make it," Morgan said, leaning back in satisfaction. Reid still had nine faces up.

His fingers on his chin, Reid was obviously concentrating very hard.

"If you're using math, that's cheating," Morgan warned.

"What? Who says?" Reid protested. Sighing, he looked at his faces. "Rachael?"

"Not even close, _Matt,_ " Morgan said, and Reid turned his face over obligingly.

"I was Matt," he sighed. "And you? Since we're leaving."

Hotch and JJ had just exited the elevator, and were walking their way.

"I'll give it up," Morgan said. "I was Emily."

"Oh, that's right, it wasn't random, we were choosing our faces," Reid said. His tone was soft, and Morgan's attitude was overly indifferent as he stood up.

"I'm ready to go," he said.

Kate jumped up. "I actually need to run up to my room for a jacket," she said. "Be right back." She picked up _Guess Who?_ and started off, surprised when she heard Reid's voice behind her.

"I need to run up for something too," he said.

They both took the stairs again. Kate found herself pushing herself harder to make it up before he did, and when she passed his door, she was panting slightly.

By the grace of his long legs, Reid didn't even look tired. "Hey, Kate?" He asked, as she passed him, and she turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you so much for these past few games," he said. "And thank Meg too. I...you guys can borrow books from me anytime. I have a really nice illustrated edition of the _Hobbit_."

"I am so taking you up on that," Kate said. "And Meg will be even more delighted to hear that. Thank you, Reid."

"Spencer," he suddenly interrupted. "We've been working together long enough. Why not call me Spencer?"

"Maybe I will," she said, and they both went opposite ways to collect their things.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: All the games are real. You can find Guess Who? if you use the keywords guess who on Amazon. If you want the exact edition—though it really doesn't matter!—you can use Guess Who Board Game from Milton Bradley by Athletic Connection. That will give you just one result, but this one is not in production anymore and is overly pricey. My current edition of Guess Who? is just from a thrift store.


	6. After Scream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I want to say now that 'Scream' has become one of my favorite episodes of all time. I really adore the scene between JJ and Kate in the basement, and I think the way JJ took the beating was on par with Prentiss in Minimal Loss.
> 
> It was an amazing episode, I loved it so much, I don't understand why most of the reviews and comments for it were so negative.
> 
> A few things I'll pinpoint:
> 
> The truly empathetic storyline. I felt for Falkmore more than I've ever felt for any UnSub. He had real demons in his past, and I thought it was very plausible.
> 
> The way JJ took the beating. I truly saw it as sacrificial. To me, JJ was taking it for Greta, and Connor, for Falkmore's past victims...and for Falkmore himself. It was such a powerful scene.
> 
> I thought Kate was shown at her best. She is knew at this, and I'm so glad she isn't afraid to ask questions sometimes. I thought the Reid/Kate moments were adorable, and there were just enough.
> 
> The amount of 'team' in the episode. I honestly thought everyone got equal screen time, and loved it to pieces. It seemed to me like everyone was in on the profiling parts. Hotch, Rossi, Morgan and Reid all had valuable contributions, and it was nice to have a bit more Garcia as she scrambled to find a likely suspect.

 

* * *

"Don't you wish you could just keep them innocent forever?" JJ asked, and Kate looked down at her hands.

"Yeah," she finally replied. She again knew that both their thoughts were on Falkmore.

JJ stood back up. "No game with Spence tonight?"

"He was reading," Kate said. "And I wasn't feeling so...exuberant. How much longer til we land?"

"We've still got almost two hours," Hotch said, overhearing.

JJ looked from Kate to Reid pointedly. "You both need it," she said, before going to sit opposite Hotch.

Kate still hesitated, before reaching into her bag and taking the box she found there. It was larger than usual, and her brows quirked when she saw the title.

" _Battleship_?"

Her head jerked up. Reid had magically materialized at her side, looming over her with a mug of coffee clutched in his hand.

"Meg thinks we need even more competition, I guess," Kate said, placing the box on the table. "She's a little put out with me, since the word about the case came in."

Reid's right eyebrow rose.

"She's going on a date," Kate admitted. "She just sprung the news on me and Chris at breakfast, and I didn't react well. But I think she was hoping to be able to talk about it at least a bit, and when the call came in, I noticed it took her longer to pick a game. I don't know, though, I was still half asleep at that point."

"Bad night?" Reid asked.

"No, I just couldn't force myself to wake up," she explained. As they were speaking, she had opened the box and handed Reid his tray. "There you go."

"I should warn you of something," Reid said, as he sat down. His tone was mischievous as he opened his tray and started to set it up. "People who have played Battleship with me have ended up in tears."

Kate smirked. "Of laughter?"

"Of defeat," Reid said. "This is no fun and games, SSA Callahan. You are going down."

"Bad pun," she said, shaking her head.

"Pun?" Reid asked, oblivious.

"Come on, ships, going down?"

"It was completely unintentional," Reid said.

They set up their boards in silence after that. After a moment of hesitation, Kate placed all her ships near the middle, each ship touching another as they made a square on the board.

Reid took considerably longer than she did, and she couldn't even count how many times he seemed to change his mind and switch where he'd placed a ship.

"Well, if you are trying to defeat me by making me die of boredom, you might win," Kate said.

Reid just held up his left hand, like a traffic officer would, and Kate leaned back in her seat, a reluctant laugh bubbling up.

"There, I'm ready," Reid said, looking up from his board.

"Okay. Um, D-3?"

"Miss," Reid said, rather smugly. "F-4?"

"Hit," Kate said, rolling her eyes at the triumph that showed in Reid's.

They continued on in that vein for quite a while, with Kate desperately trying to get a hit and Reid making one on almost each turn.

"J-10?" Kate asked.

"Miss," Reid replied. "E-7?"

"Hit! Ugh, how do you do it!" She picked up the red peg and stabbed it into place on her Destroyer.

"It's all in the profiling," Reid said.

"That's it," Kate said, standing up.

"Wait, what are you doing? Where are you going?"

"You are profiling," Kate said. "And I can profile too, but not quite as well as you, especially since I don't know you quite as well. So _I_ am calling in reinforcements."

"You're doing what?" Reid asked, twisting in his seat to watch Kate's progress.

"I'm calling in Hotch," she said, and ignored the startled look on the Unit Chief's face as she grabbed his arm and tugged him from his seat.

"What are you doing?" Hotch asked, as she pulled him back to the table.

"I need your help to defeat a smug genius," Kate said.

He surveyed her board: four of her ships were sunk already, but on the top board that showed the enemy's side, only white pegs dotted it.

"You really need my help," Hotch agreed, sitting down and scooting over so she could sit.

Reid looked at them. "This is cheating."

"Not really," Kate said. "I'm losing miserably, and you are using your experience to an unfair advantage."

"No, I'm not!" Reid protested.

"Just think of it as an extra challenge," Hotch said, steepling his fingers beneath his chin. "Can you beat both of us?"

Reid's eyes narrowed considerably, and he uncrossed his arms. "Yes, Agent _Hotchner,_ I can. More than that, I will!"

Hotch winked at Kate. "Okay. B-6."

"Hit," Reid said reluctantly.

The game went on. Hotch was making hits left and right, and Reid, though he'd found and sunk her Destroyer, Carrier, Submarine and Battleship without any trouble at all, he couldn't seem to locate her Patrol Boat.

"A-7," Kate said, and Reid's scowl indicated another hit.

"B-4," he said.

"Hit," Kate said, and Reid immediately perked up.

He had only to make one more correct guess and he'd win.

Hotch surveyed Kate's board. He'd managed to sink three of Reid's ship, and with this hit, he'd nail a fourth.

"A-8," Hotch said confidently.

"You sunk my Carrier," Reid chirped. "B-5."

"Miss," Kate said, and she met Reid's confident gaze over the tops of their respective boards.

"You can't win," Reid said. "Yes, I have three more spaces to go through before I sink your Patrol Boat, but the ship I have left is my Battleship. You can't win," he repeated.

"We can certainly die trying," Hotch replied, meeting Reid's gaze and Reid blinked.

"You guys are cheating," he muttered, before looking back down at his board.

"D-9," Hotch said.

"Miss," Reid replied. "C-4?"

"You just sank my Patrol Boat," Kate answered.

Next to her, Hotch stood up to go and she quickly slid from her seat to let him.

"Good game," Hotch said, standing above them for a moment.

Though Kate was standing, she still tipped her head up, like Reid, to look at Hotch's face.

Hotch walked back to his seat, and Kate sat down again.

Reid looked at her. "That was your plan all along."

"What was?" She asked.

"You set up your boats in a way too easy formation, then purposely stayed away from spots that you thought would be hits," Reid said. "You _were_ profiling, but where _not_ to go!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kate said.

Reid leaned closer, his voice sinking to a whisper. "You called Hotch in on purpose."

"He was so quiet on this case," Kate hissed back. "Yes, maybe I did."

"Maybe!" Reid snorted.

He leaned back in his seat, an appraising look on his face. "Now what?"

"Rematch," Kate smirked. "And this time, I'm getting JJ."

* * *

Reid watched as Kate stood up again, and walked over to where JJ sat. He could imagine the conversation going down between the two, and, internally, he smiled.

It had been a while since someone had actively tried to knit the team together.

He was getting to like Kate Callahan more and more every plane ride, every game played together.

Well, that was the operative word, wasn't it?

Together.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Guess why Kate asked Hotch first, and not JJ.


	7. The Game of Life, Part I

 

* * *

" _Life_ ," Morgan said, slapping his hand on the desk in front of Reid.

"Pardon?" Reid said, jumping slightly in his seat.

" _Life_ is what we need," Morgan said, eyes glittering.

"Morgan, if this is another one of your attempts to make me go speeddating, the answer is still no," Reid answered, brushing hair from his eyes.

Morgan scoffed, and drew a box from behind his back. "This kind of _Life_ , Genius."

"Oh, the game," Reid said. "You could have clarified that that was what you were talking about."

"I could have," Morgan shrugged. "Question is, who do we get to play with us on this beautiful lunchbreak?"

"Hotch is out," Reid replied immediately. "He has a meeting with Cruz. I think everyone else is here."

"Great," Morgan said. "I'm going to get Garcia, and JJ. You can find Kate and Rossi."

Reid raised his eyebrows as Morgan jogged off, amused at his friend's presumption that Reid would do just as he said.

But of course he would. He stood slowly, brushing his hair back again, and headed for Rossi's office.

"Yes, I'd love to, Joy," Rossi was saying when Reid hesitantly pushed the already cracked door open.

Rossi held up his hand, to signal just a minute. "Yes. Okay. I'll do that. Love you too. Bye."

He hung up, and slipped his phone into his pocket. "What can I do for you, Reid?"

"Morgan seems to think that our lunch hour is available," Reid said. "He's calling everyone to play _Life._ "

"Aren't we already?" Rossi said, waving his hand around his office. "If this _isn't_ life, I guess I know what death is after all."

Reid smiled. "I had the same reaction. No, the _Game of Life_ ," he corrected.

"Oh, with the cars and the wheel?" Rossi asked, taking a sip of water from the cup on his desk.

Reid nodded. "I think so."

"I hate that game," Rossi said. "The wheel is always flimsy, and it takes up too much time."

"I'm not sure Morgan was giving us a choice in the matter," Reid said and Rossi's barked out a laugh.

"He probably wasn't," he sighed. "What about Hotch? It only takes six players, and I'd like to duck out. Wait, it's Wednesday, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Reid answered.

"So today is his meeting with Cruz," Rossi said. "It looks like I do not have a choice. I'll be out in a minute. Where are we playing?"

"I'm not sure," Reid said. "But I have to find Kate first. Do you know where she is? She stopped in here, but I didn't notice where she went next, and she hasn't been at her desk in..." He checked his watch. "Thirty-three minutes."

Rossi nodded. "She was telling me that she had to take a phone call from Meg's school, but she should be back by now. And there she is!"

He pointed through his window, and Reid turned to see Kate striding into the bullpen, looking rather harried.

"I'll be out in a minute," Rossi reminded him, as Reid ducked out of his office and hurried back down into the bullpen.

"Hey, Kate," he said, approaching her quickly, and she jumped.

"Don't be offended, but never sneak up on me again," she said, and he could hear the edge in her voice.

"I'm not offended," he assured her. "And I didn't mean to sneak."

She sighed, pressing her temples with her hands. "I know. I'm sorry, but..."

"Rossi told me that Meg's school was calling," Reid prompted, and Kate nodded.

"It did," she said, voice tight. "She has detention, her second since third grade when she punched a bully. Then I have to admit I was proud of her." She shook her head. "I'm not proud of her this time."

"Can I ask what the issue was?" Reid said quietly, really trying to not seem like he was pushing the issue.

"I'd need to wait to hear her side of the story," Kate said. "All I can say is that she'd better have a good explanation. Right, you walked up to me. Did you want something?"

"Morgan wants to play a game," Reid said. " _Life_."

"My life is already a game," Kate sighed. "I'm not sure I'm winning at this point. What, right now?"

"Lunch break," Reid answered. "Only time we can."

"Don't worry about the food, I ordered lunch in," Morgan said, coming up behind them and clapping a hand on Kate's shoulder. "Tacos alright with you?"

"Sure," Kate said, but withdrew a sandwich bag full of vegetables from her purse. "I'll just use these to supplement them."

"I didn't realize you were a health nut," JJ said, walking up to the group. "I seem to remember you saying an ode to pulled pork sandwiches right about when you started."

"It's a resolution I made at the beginning of the year," Kate said.

"I hate New Year's Resolutions," Rossi said, coming up from behind them. "In my experience, the way to ensure that I fail at something is to make a resolution out of it."

JJ agreed, nodding her head emphatically. "I have the same problem. I think I inherited it. On January first, my mother always vowed to lose ten pounds and half the time she ended up _gaining_ weight."

"Well, it wasn't an actual New Year's Resolution," Kate said. "I think I'll be fine."

The whole team noticed the clipped answer, and no one missed the look Rossi shot Reid.

Kate ducked her head. "What are we standing around for? Let's get to playing."

Morgan led the way to the Round Table room, and the whole team halted.

It was already set up, and Garcia was waiting with a tray of steaming mugs. "Tea." She announced, waiting for them to sit down before passing them out. "This is straight from Emily, so I don't want anyone complaining if they don't like tea. Drink it anyway."

Reid watched Kate closely, and was quietly pleased when she showed no hesitation in taking a sip.

"Okay," Morgan said. "I'm the Red car and I am not going to college. Reid?"

"Um, Yellow," Reid said. "And I am going to college."

JJ was next to Reid, and she studied the colors for a moment. "Blue. I'm going to college."

Garcia claimed the seat next to JJ, then looked startled when she realized it was her turn to choose. "Whoops. I'm picking Green, and I am..."

Having picked up the car, her hand moved from each starting point as she obviously couldn't decide which to pick.

"Come with me," Morgan said. "I need some company."

She placed it next to his. "You do need company," she said, smiling.

Rossi was next, and he looked to Kate before picking. "What color do you want? It's just Orange and White now."

"White?" Kate said. "If you don't mind."

"It doesn't matter to me," he chuckled, and placed the Orange car next to Garcia's. "I've had enough education," he said.

Kate placed hers next to JJ's.

"Okay, so you three are getting loans," Morgan said. "I already distributed the money, so hand over your $10,000. And who wants Car Insurance?"

Garcia, Kate and JJ took the offer of insurance, but Reid was distracted by the spinner and didn't hear the question. Rossi and Morgan privately scoffed at the thought of insurance, and both kept their money to themselves.

"Now we spin to see who goes first," Morgan said. "Highest number wins."

He reached out and twisted the wheel in the center of the board. It whirled around madly, before settling at three. "Well, it's not going to be me," he said. "Reid? It's your turn to spin."

Reid studied the wheel for a moment, a frown of concentration on his face. "JJ, you go. I think if I study this enough, I can spin it the exact amount to get ten, but I have to calculate a few more things."

JJ laughed, and spun a seven. "Are you ready yet, or should it go to Garcia?"

"I'll spin last," Reid said, and put his face down so that he was eye level with the spinner. He watched it intently as Garcia spun, and sat up to jot something in a notebook.

Garcia spun a six. "I've already lost my chance," she said. "Rossi?"

The older agent reached out to twist the wheel, and it came off in his hand. He lifted his hands in exasperation. "I told you, didn't I tell you? The wheel hates me!"

Muttering Italian curses, he placed it back on the board and tried again. "One."

Morgan's laugh echoed over the board as Kate reached to spin. "At home, we have a _Pirates of the Caribbean_ version," she said. "But the spinner is the same."

She spun a ten, her hand barely touching the wheel. As the team watched in surprise, and a small part of suspicion, she returned her hand to her lap and bit a celery stick.

The crunch was the only sound in the room as Reid reached for the wheel.

"Do you think you can do it?" JJ asked.

"I've calculated it exactly," Reid said, and spun a ten.

Morgan crowed, but it faded away when he looked at Kate. "Rematch, right? You go."

Kate spun again, her impassive face not changing when it landed at ten.

Reid, a look of concentration on his face, spun again, and was visibly relieved when it, too, landed at ten.

"Okay, someone else has to spin for them," Rossi said, interrupting the vicious cycle before it could fully start. "I'll spin for Kate, and Garcia can spin for Reid. There, a five."

"Seven," Garcia said.

"Looks like Pretty Boy gets the first turn," Morgan said.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Answer for last chapter's question: Kate was afraid that JJ would say no if she asked her first, and she wouldn't have been able to push her into doing it like she did with Hotch.


	8. The Game of Life, Part II

 

* * *

The tacos arrived the moment after Morgan announced that Reid was going first. He left to get them, and the team paused for a moment. Garcia picked up her tablet, and leaned over to show Rossi a picture.

JJ was talking to Reid about a picture Henry had drawn, and Kate could slowly feel the team drift away from her.

She brought her hand up to her forehead again, massaging her temple. She couldn't bring herself to try right now, not when she suspected what she did. She looked down at her stomach and resisted the urge to rub it.

She hadn't taken a test yet. She didn't know. She wasn't sure.

And then there was Meg.

 _"She's been acting out,"_ Mr. Roberts had said, during their phone conversation. _"She talked back to me, and earned herself in-school detention when she got into a fight during lunch. We understand that you cannot come today, and your husband Chris is already here. We're just updating you."_

Kate wondered how it had come to this. Meg had always been a reserved child, and when she entered Middle School, it had increased. She had chosen a close circle of friends, and hadn't strayed from them.

But Mr. Roberts said that the cafeteria monitors reported that Meg had seemed to start the fight, and she had slapped the other participant.

It honestly shocked Kate. But, as she'd said to Reid, she had to wait to hear Meg's side of the story. Kate knew what trials and rumors school life had. Maybe the other girl had started a nasty rumor.

Of course, Kate would never condone Meg slapping her, but if there was at least an _explanation_ to rationalize Meg's behavior.

Behavior.

Kate wanted to laugh at herself. For God's sake, she studied behavior!

And yet she couldn't figure out what was bothering Meg.

And God knew she'd been trying.

* * *

"Okay, got chicken, steak and vegetarian tacos, plus some sides," Morgan announced, walking back through the door with his hands full of food. "I didn't order anything with anyone specific in mind, so just take what you want, I ordered plenty."

"It smells delicious," JJ said, and Garcia leaned over Rossi to talk to Kate.

"You love burritos, does that love extend to tacos?" She said. "What kind do you want?"

The smell was permeating the room. Kate blinked, then turned a bit pale. "Oh, god," she whispered, shoved her chair back and ran from the conference room.

"What the—" Morgan said, as a short, dark flash streaked past him. "What bit her?"

"Looks like the flu did," Rossi said. "I think she'll be back. We should just get started."

"Go ahead and spin, Pretty Boy," Morgan said, and Reid promptly spun One.

"Scholarship," he explained.

"You would," Morgan said. "Your turn, Jayje."

She spun a five, and moved to the corresponding space. "Cram for Exams. Lose next turn." She pressed her lips together as Garcia picked her career.

"I got so lucky," she exclaimed, when her random pick turned out to be Computer Consultant. "Yes! And my salary isn't half bad either."

She spun two, which was a Raffle Prize of $10,000, and as she collected it from Morgan, who'd been self-appointed as Banker, Kate returned.

"Sorry about that," she muttered. "I don't think I'll be having tacos after all."

"Can you still play?" JJ asked. "If you still feel sick..."

"I'm fine," Kate said. "I ate some funny eggs this morning, and I think that's all it was."

JJ's gaze pierced her, and Kate turned her head away.

Rossi spun, and bit back a curse as the wheel jumped from its place.

"I get $10,000!" Garcia crowed. "That's my job!"

Rossi tried again, and spun a five. He took his turn, and gestured for Kate to go.

She spun a nine, neatly passing JJ and Reid.

It wasn't a favorable space; _write term paper. Lost next turn._

She shrugged, and took a water bottle from Morgan's stash.

He raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment as he took his own turn. "Lucky!" He exclaimed, when he picked the career card Police Officer. His salary was a little low, but it was obvious he didn't mind as he spun a six and moved quickly onward.

They went around and around.

JJ was the first to get married, surprising everyone with some very high numbers that made her pass everyone.

Reid got the knack of the wheel down just right, and he seemed to be going as slowly as possible to get as many favorable spaces as he could. While Rossi had to pay $10,000 in car repairs, (because he hadn't bought insurance) Reid neatly skated over that space and earned himself another LIFE chip.

The pile of LIFE chips was rapidly diminishing, and Garcia and Kate hadn't even earned one yet.

Garcia was raking in lots of money from Rossi tipping the wheel, and the other players were starting to think that he was doing it on purpose at this point.

Morgan picked out the worst house, the 'split level' that, in its picture, had a jagged cut going through the middle of the floor. His choice very obviously puzzled JJ, since he had also been given the chance to take the nicest house, a purple mansion that _she_ had been aiming for, but hadn't picked.

JJ didn't seem to like the random selection.

"I'm going to repair my house," Morgan explained to her. "It's going to become a tourist destination, I'll get millions of dollars in fees."

"The game doesn't work that way," Reid said, before he realized that Morgan was joking. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"I'm not surprised," Morgan said, looking at Reid's Doctor career card, and his coveted $100,000 salary. "Counting your money again?"

"No," Reid said, so into the game he didn't realize he was being teased. "I decided I just saved a ten year old boy going into surgery. He'd been hit by a car, but my area of expertise—"

"That's not necessary," Rossi interrupted, and earned himself a really sharp elbow from Garcia.

"It is so necessary," she said. "As for me, I have gone from Consultant to boring rich people, to consultant for the FBI. And I got a makeover," she said, frowning at the card, which portrayed two very stiffly dressed avatars; the male had brown hair and a suit, and the female was blonde—one point in her favor—but she was wearing a yellow sweater and her hair was in a very lackluster ponytail.

"Fine!" Rossi said. "My Salesperson just earned a $50,000 commission, and is going to Tahiti and blowing off work for the rest of his life! And then he's going to blow up the spinner. Kate, how about you?"

Kate had picked Teacher, and now looked at her card rather blankly. "Um, I'm...teaching troubled kids, and my most wild student just became Vice President, all because of my guiding influence."

"Very nice," Rossi praised.

Morgan was liking this version of the game, and spent a moment preparing his statement. "Okay. There was this crime ring in the city where I worked; it extended everywhere, from the Mayor to the lowest junkie. I've been working my ass off trying to get a clue, and all of a sudden, something just lands in my lap. I radio my partner, and we're advancing on their hideout."

"Hang on," JJ said. "Let me go before you make this too hard for everyone else to beat." She looked down at her Career card: Accountant. It portrayed a sweet looking couple, both in their sixties; the woman had a gray bun and the man was bald. "I've gotten a very high profile account. My boss wants me to cook the books. I'm just about to call Morgan, the friendly Police Officer, when suddenly the door bangs open!"

The door to the conference room banged open, causing everyone to jump. Kate dropped her bag on the floor, and had to bend down to get it.

Hotch stood in the doorway, his eyebrows raised to an extreme. "What are you _doing_ in here? Playing _games_? During _work_ hours?"

"It's our lunch hour," Morgan explained, but then Garcia tut-tutted, and he checked his watch. "It's not our lunch hour."

"Not anymore," Hotch said. "I don't mind these kinds of things, but to play them _during work hours_ is unacceptable. Please, return to work immediately. Leave the board set up, don't waste time putting it away."

"I'm sorry, sir," Garcia said, scrambling past him. "We didn't realize how late it had gotten."

"We really didn't," JJ said, and shot him her own glare in passing. "This is a bit extreme."

Hotch folded his arms, and continued to wait for the rest of the team. "He's just mad cause we didn't ask him," Rossi said loudly, and Hotch rolled his eyes.

"How did your meeting with Cruz go?" Reid asked, and Hotch softened.

"That remains to be seen," he answered, and Morgan clapped his hand on Reid's shoulder to push him out of the conference room before him.

"It won't happen again," Morgan said. "We just felt the need to loosen up."

Hotch softened again. "I know. But not during work again, okay?"

"Okay," Morgan grinned, and the corners of Hotch's mouth twitched.

"Get on," he said, then started after them before he realized that Kate hadn't left yet.

"Callahan?" He called, and she quickened her pace until by the time they reached his office, she almost passed him. "Step in here with me for a moment." Hotch said, and her quick about face was almost comical.

"Is something bothering you?" He asked, moving to his desk.

She stayed standing in the doorway. "Yes. Meg is...causing trouble. I can't figure out why."

"What kind of trouble?" Hotch asked, and she sighed.

"She got into a fight at school today," she said, realizing that Hotch deserved the details since it was obviously affecting her work.

"Do you need to go and pick her up?"

"Chris went," she said. "I don't have to leave early or anything, but it's definitely knocked me off my game."

"Were you the one to suggest playing a game?" Hotch asked.

Kate tensed. "I...yes."

Hotch frowned. "I...am appreciating what lengths you are taking to integrate yourself into the team. I especially appreciate all the time you've spent with Reid during and after cases. All of us need that unwinding time, and Reid shouldn't be alone too much. But during work hours..."

"It won't happen again," Kate promised, her hands going behind her back in military stance.

"You can go," Hotch sighed, and she turned to leave. "Wait. Is there something else you aren't telling me?"

His gaze dipped to her stomach, and her eyes widened.

"I don't...I'm not sure yet," she admitted. "I haven't let myself find out. I'm...scared."

"Don't be," he said.

* * *

 


	9. After Lockdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: These are the rules for War, taken from pagat . com: (spaces removed)
> 
> In the basic game there are two players and you use a standard 52 card pack. Cards rank as usual from high to low: 2. Suits are ignored in this game.
> 
> Deal out all the cards, so that each player has 26. Players do not look at their cards, but keep them in a packet face down. The object of the game is to win all the cards.
> 
> Both players now turn their top card face up and put them on the table. Whoever turned the higher card takes both cards and adds them (face down) to the bottom of their packet. Then both players turn up their next card and so on.
> 
> If the turned up cards are equal there is a war. The tied cards stay on the table and both players play the next card of their pile face down and then another card face-up. Whoever has the higher of the new face-up cards wins the war and adds all six cards face-down to the bottom of their packet. If the new face-up cards are equal as well, the war continues: each player puts another card face-down and one face-up. The war goes on like this as long as the face-up cards continue to be equal. As soon as they are different the player of the higher card wins all the cards in the war.
> 
> The game continues until one player has all the cards and wins. This can take a long time.

 

 

Her whole body ached as she stepped out of the SUV to enter their hotel, but she barely noticed.

_She was outside. She was free._

They were out of prison, out of the nightmare she'd been trapped in. For a moment there, she'd really expected to not make it out.

"I can take that," Reid offered, when she got around to the back of the car and reached for her bags.

"Thank you," she said. "I wasn't looking forward to that."

He smiled, and slung it over his shoulder. Ahead of them, they saw JJ forcibly taking Morgan's bags from him.

"You're injured," she was insisting. "Let me take them."

"I'm fine," Morgan said, but when Rossi came up and clapped him on the shoulder, he visibly winced.

"No, you aren't, my friend," Rossi said. "Give my his duffel."

JJ handed it over, and Rossi hurried ahead as Morgan rolled his eyes and tried to take it back.

"You'll have to catch me first," he taunted, and slipped inside the hotel lobby.

Morgan, who was moving slower than usual, gave up trying, and turned to wait for Kate and Reid.

"You feeling okay, Shorty?" He asked, his eyes darkening with concern.

"I'll live," she said. "Right now, I just want a shower. And new clothes. And to never return to that blasted place."

"I think none of us would ever go back there willingly," Morgan said. "Nice moves."

She groaned. "Just don't talk about it. I'd like to exit that headspace."

As they reached the elevators, Morgan moved aside.

"Oh, don't play tough guy," JJ said. "Just get in."

"I want to take the stairs," he said. "Otherwise I'm afraid I won't be able to."

She rolled her eyes, but followed him to the stairwell. "I'm going with him, so don't hold the elevator."

Reid and Kate stepped in, and Reid stuck his head out to signal Hotch. "We're going up, Hotch."

"Go ahead," Hotch said. "I'm getting some coffee."

Reid nodded, and, as Rossi had taken an earlier one, they were alone.

"Are you feeling okay?" Reid asked.

"I...think so," she replied.

"Any plans for the rest of the night?" He asked. "I don't think we're going to make it out to restaurant."

Kate just barely put a smile on her face, before turning her head to gauge Reid's reaction to her next words. "Actually...I was thinking of going to the hospital."

Reid startled. "Why? Didn't they check you out at the prison?"

"There were medics, but they couldn't give me the answers I want," she said. "I need to get something else checked out. I'm pregnant, Reid."

Reid's mouth fell open, then he gave a strangled laugh. "I knew it. I suspected, but you weren't saying anything."

"I was keeping it under wraps until I was certain," she said. "And, admittedly, I took of a lot of time before finding out. I was nervous."

"Why?" Reid said, his face lighting up with smiles. "That's awesome. You're going to be a mom. What could be more amazing than that knowledge?"

"What could be more frightening?" She said, quietly. "Yes, it is amazing, but I haven't actually done this before. Meg was over a year when Chris and I took her in. It's completely different to be on this side of expecting."

Reid's face suddenly grew more serious. "Wait. The fight. Do you think...?"

"Nothing feels abnormal," she said. "But feelings can be false. Could you drive me after I have a quick shower?"

"Yes," he said, dead serious. "Just knock on my door when you're ready to go."

She nodded, but he could see the tears just beginning to fill her eyes. "Thank you."

* * *

Half an hour later, Reid sat on his bed cross legged, his hand skating over a book's page as he read.

A knock sounded at his door, and he hurried to open it. Kate stood there, her hair still wet.

"Hey. Ready to go?" She asked, a bag slung over her shoulder.

"I already got the keys from Hotch," Reid said. "And I told him we were going to a convenience store."

"You didn't have to lie," she said. "But thank you. I'd just like to wait before announcing this."

"I know," Reid said, as they walked to the elevator.

* * *

The waiting room at the ER was as expected: crowded but almost dead silent, but for the panicked relatives that came running in every few minutes.

Kate was sitting in a hard, plastic chair, flipping through a _People_ magazine when Reid approached her.

"Tea," he said, handing her a steaming styrofoam cup.

"Thanks," she said. "They said it might be a while. Since I'm not actively dying, and all. And I would rather not go to the ER but the nurse said this would be the best place." She shook her head wearily. "I hate hospitals. What good things ever happens inside?"

"Lives are saved, lives are welcomed into the world," Reid said. "Isn't that good?"

"You are a ray of sunshine, Dr. Reid," she said, and leaned down to pick her bag up. "Luckily, I came prepared."

"Oh?"

She winced slightly, and he moved to take the bag from her. "Can you find the deck of cards inside?" She asked. "My side aches."

"Did you get your ribs checked out?" Reid asked, carefully opening the flowered hobo bag.

"The medic at the prison said my ribs were fine," she said. "Just bruised."

He sifted through the contents, coming across the usual things you'd find in a woman's bag: lipstick, paperback, mascara, keys, her FBI tags, a small picture frame, a wallet, and, finally, a deck of cards.

"You have Picasso playing cards?" Reid asked disbelievingly, taking them out of the box.

"I do," she said. "I love Picasso. Hence, I gave you a Picasso jigsaw puzzle for Christmas."

Reid shook his head, grinning, as he shuffled. His hands moved swiftly through the deck, and she watched.

"You really know how the shuffle cards," she said. "I'm barely beyond 52 card pickup."

"That is not shuffling," Reid said, sounding almost insulted at the suggestion it was.

"It gets the job done," she teased. "Wait a minute. Are you a card shark?"

"Yes," Reid said, not bothering to deny it.

"Okay," she said, raising her eyebrows. "In that case, let's not play Poker. Deal out the whole deck."

"What?"

"Deal the whole deck, twenty-six to you, twenty-six to me." They were playing on their laps, and she turned in her chair so that their knees met. "This, my friend, is _War._ "

"I don't think I know that one," Reid said, his hands flying as he dealt them.

"It's easy enough," she said. "First of all, don't look at your cards. Second, each player turns over a card. The higher card wins; the one to play it gets to keep both. The goal is to have the most cards."

"What if you tie?" Reid said, dealing out the twenty-fifth card.

"That's where the war part comes in," she said, straightening her cards into a neat stack. "You continue turning over cards until one beats. Winner takes all."

"But it's all just the luck of the draw," Reid complained. "No skill involved."

"We can poker next," she said. "Seven Card No Peek."

"That's your idea of poker?" Reid asked, amazed.

"That's what I play with Meg," she said, and turned over her top card. "Queen of Clubs."

"Jack of Spades," Reid said, and she swept the cards away.

"Ace of Spades," she said.

"Three of Spades," he returned, and she took them again.

"King of Hearts," she said.

"Queen of Hearts," Reid said, giving her his card before she had to reach for it.

She couldn't resist a small laugh, and he didn't resist a small cackle when, next turn, he won, Jack of Hearts over Seven of Hearts.

"Ten of Hearts," she said.

"Six of Hearts," he said.

Another turn, then Reid won again with the Ace of Diamonds.

Kate took three more sets, and Reid sighed. "We haven't even had a war yet," he said. "This is not a very well thought out card game."

She took another set, before Reid triumphed with the Eight of Spades over her Two of Hearts.

They played through, Kate taking the majority of the cards, and Reid was despairing of ever having a war, when, on their fourth to last card, they both drew Fours.

"War!" Kate said, they drew again, and Reid took the set with the King of Diamonds.

"Yes!" He crowed.

At the end of the game, it was more than obvious who had won. Reid took Kate's stack of cards to reintegrate it into the deck, and started shuffling.

"Kate Callahan?" A nurse asked, and Kate jumped up.

"Dr. Nicole Zane can see you now," the nurse said, her name tag reading Violet.

"Thank you," she said, moving to follow her, but paused when Reid hung back.

"Don't worry, your boyfriend can come with us," Violet reassured her.

It wasn't his place to correct the nurse, but he found the answer jumping to his lips. "I'm just a friend."

"You can still come with, if Kate's okay with it," Violet said. "Are you?"

"Yeah," Kate said. "I am."

* * *

"I'm dressed," Kate called, and Reid slipped back into the room. "I'm just waiting on some test results," she said, sitting in the middle of the hospital bed with her feet up. "But Dr. Zane said the baby and I are looking just fine."

"That's good," Reid said, and hesitantly took the deck of cards from his pocket.

"Good idea," she said. "Deal them out."

"What are we playing?" Reid asked. "Please don't say _War_ or Seven Card No Peek."

"You can decide," she said. "Actually, do you know any card tricks?"

"Do I know any card tricks?" Reid said, pulling a chair up to the bed. "I know...more than a thousand. Here's one," he said, and his hands once again flew.

He dealt three columns of seven cards, face up. "Pick a card, but don't tell me what it is," he said, and watched her gaze skate over them.

"I've got one," she said. "Now what?"

"What column is it in, A, B, or C?" He asked.

"C," she said. "Wait, I think I know this one."

He redealt, and she picked her card out again. "B."

Ditto. "B."

"Hocus Pocus," Reid said, discarding a card for every letter. The eleventh card was the Three of Diamonds, and Kate clapped her hands.

"It never gets old," she said, taking the card. "But I suppose it's all just math?"

"Yes, and I can explain the trick to you," Reid said. "It has to do with—"

"Spencer." Kate said, and lay a finger on his lip. "Remember, a magician never reveals his secrets,"

"I suppose he doesn't," Reid said, moving back from her finger and she looked away from him.

"Okay," Reid said. "Blackjack."

"Oh, no," she said. "What's wrong with Seven Card No Peek?"

"It's stupid," Reid said, his voice deceptively patient.

Kate just rolled her eyes. "Blackjack it is, then."

* * *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You can buy the deck of cards mentioned on Amazon, using the keywords Piatnik Picasso Playing Cards by Gibson.


	10. Sudoku-ish

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I feel the need to note that this takes place before Breath Play. I noticed that Canon contradicted me in that it doesn't seem like Reid knew but...
> 
> Who knows? Maybe he was faking it. And maybe Kate lied to Garcia. Hmm. That theory just got a bit troublesome.

Playing Games by JuliaBC

* * *

 

* * *

"Kate?"

Deep in her thoughts, Kate didn't even register the voice.

"Kate!" Now it was accompanied by a hand placed very lightly on her shoulder.

She blinked and jerked to attention, swiveling her chair to see who was talking.

"Reid."

"You were on a completely different time plane just now, weren't you?" Reid said, pulling out the chair next to hers to sit down.

"Yeah, I think I was," Kate said, looking around the almost emptied bullpen. "Where is everyone?"

"Aha. You've been out of it even longer than I originally thought. It's lunch break, Kate."

Eyebrows shooting up, Kate grabbed his arm to see his watch. "Oh no! I had a report to do."

Reid shook his head. "Correct. You had a report. Past tense."

"Huh?" She asked, shuffling the items on her desk around as she looked for the needed file.

"I did it for you," Reid clarified. "What with you being expecting, and all. You've just been out of it and don't think we all didn't notice."

"You shouldn't have done that," Kate chastened. "I need to pull my own weight around here, pregnant or not."

"This is the first file you haven't done in time," Reid said. "The first I, or anyone else, took."

"You still shouldn't have," she said, standing. "But don't let my protests fool you. I am very grateful, and thank you. I wasn't looking forward to telling Hotch."

"You were out of it all morning, and we all have bad days," Reid said. "It's okay. Can I guess that it has to do with Meg? Has she told you her side of the fight yet?"

"She completely refused to communicate, about it or...anything," Kate said. "She won't...listen. I get this feeling that something else is not right. Something that, maybe, started all the way back when she tried to go on that date."

"What kind of feeling?" Reid asked, his brow crinkling.

"I...an instinct, honestly," Kate said. "It sounds so fake, but there you go. I have this gut feeling that nothing good would have come of it, and an even bigger sense of relief that nothing came of it."

"You should listen to that," Reid said. He pressed the button for the elevator, but his finger stayed poised above it for a moment longer. "Feelings like that aren't always false."

* * *

"Make that a large coffee," Reid said, amending his lunch order.

Kate had already secured them a table, and he walked to join her.

"It's finally warming up," Kate said, looking out at the cloudy day. "The snow is finally melting. It's 55°F!"

"It's all right," Reid said.

"When I woke up this morning, there were birds chirping outside my window," Kate said. "Meg's cat was walking around my room, and trying to get to them."

"Meg has a cat?" Reid said.

"Yeah, we got her one on her tenth birthday," Kate said. "A young male she named O'Malley, for he was big and orange and just a little fat."

"O'Malley?" Reid asked.

"From the _Aristocats._ Haven't you seen it? Disney, talking cats playing jazz?" Kate said. "You haven't, have you?"

"I'm not much for Disney, what can I say?" Reid apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Kate said, and took her phone from her purse. "This is what the original O'Malley looked like. Meg's O'Malley is striped. Do you like pets?"

"Pets don't like me," Reid said. "But I don't know. I haven't been around animals in a long time."

"Dogs or cats?" She asked.

"Maybe dogs," Reid said. "But Emily Prentiss, who held this position before you, had a black cat named Sergio. I got along well with him. I think I like dogs more, though. Cats are...too hard, you know? But the mental image of a dog is always faithful, always loves you, spends time with you no matter what." He looked out the window. "Dogs don't like me, though. It used to be so bad Hotch once called it the 'Reid' effect. That was one of our first cases together, actually."

"So a long time ago?" Kate asked. "If you haven't really been around a dog since then, who knows what might have changed? I sure don't believe in the Reid effect. Let's round up Penelope and go to an animal shelter this weekend. We can look at the dogs there and make a donation."

"Are you serious?" Reid asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Her eyes pierced him.

"Grandiose plans like this rarely make it past the drawing board," Reid said.

"Do you get cancelled on a lot?" She asked.

"Most of my colleagues are married or have kids," Reid said. "I've come to expect it, that's all."

"All the more reason to—colleagues?" She broke off in the middle of her sentence.

"What?"

"You don't have any friends outside of the FBI?"

"It takes up a lot of my life," Reid said. "Doesn't it yours? Name three friends you've managed to keep over your career in the FBI."

"Therese," she said. "Kelly."

"And?" Reid asked.

She bit her lip. "I've kept friends, we're just not as close anymore," she finally answered.

"Knew it," Reid said smugly. "It's hard. The people you become closest to are those you work with, and take way too long plane rides with."

"This has nothing to do with what I was saying." Kate said, scrambling back onto topic. "Do you want to go and look at dogs with me and Penelope? Because I might go anyway without you if you continue acting stubborn."

"Why don't you? You should take Meg, and be spending your free time with your family and friends, and not just your _colleagues_?" He retorted, almost spitting the words.

"Spencer. That's not what I meant," she protested, finally realizing what she'd said. "No, that's not what I meant at all."

"Aren't your friends more deserving of your time?" He asked, eyes flashing, but before she could say anything, their food came.

" _Itadakimasu,_ " Reid said.

"You know Japanese?" Kate finally asked, a few minutes later.

"I know most languages," Reid said.

"You don't use most languages," she said.

He responded by ducking underneath the table and rummaging in his messenger bag.

"Do this puzzle," he said, handing her a Sudoku book.

"What, number 12?" She asked, confused.

"Yes, number 12," he repeated. "It's the easiest in the book. I checked."

"I should tell you that I got mostly Cs in high school math," she said.

"It's not math, it's just elimination," Reid said. "Like your games. Like _Clue._ "

"Do you have a pen?" Kate said, after another pause in the conversation.

"Yes, I do," he asked. "Would you like one?"

"God, Spencer! Do you have PMS or something?" The words burst out before she could stop them. "You hand me this book and then expect me to do it. With what? The freaking ketchup?"

He had a look in his eyes she hadn't seen before as he handed her a pen and didn't say anything.

She did the puzzle in five minutes, knowing all the while that Reid was timing her. She had a feeling that this was somehow a test.

She had a feeling that it was very important to Reid that she passed it.

She had a feeling she didn't.

* * *

As she looked at the clock and counted down the minutes to five, Kate's eyes were stinging. She really wanted to cry, _damn these hormones_ , but she couldn't let herself.

Cursing the clock, she gave up on it and stood up. She had something to do, and went straight to Hotch's office without looking at Reid's desk.

"Can I come in?" Kate said, poking her head through the barely open door.

"Just a second," Hotch said, and she noticed he was on the phone. "I'm on hold," he said, moving his mouth away from it to talk to her. "Go ahead and sit down."

The sun filtering through the window shone in Kate's eyes as she took the seat as bidden. She shifted so that it wouldn't, but it remained glaring.

Hotch hung up the phone, turning his full attention to her. "You've got a powerful sun in here," she said, indicating her eyes to pretend that _that_ was why she was crying.

"I do," he said. "I didn't realize it was that powerful."

"It isn't," she sighed. "These are hormones."

"You had it confirmed," Hotch said.

"I did," she said, smiling through the tears that were now freely coursing down her face. "Last week, after Texas. I'm pregnant!"

"Congratulations," he said softly, pushing the kleenex box over to her. "It must be an amazing feeling."

"It is," she said. "Don't let these tears fool you. I'm overjoyed."

"The team should know," he said. "It's your own decision, but I'm sure they'd love some good news around here and soon. This winter is just dragging on them."

"I noticed," Kate said fervently, and regretted the words the instant she said them.

Hotch's eyes shot from the paperwork to her, then out his office window to the bullpen. "Did something happen?"

"Everyone has been off," she said, standing up in a hurry. "I've been off. This was just an off day for everyone, I think."

"Maybe, but who's everyone?" Hotch asked. It almost seemed like he'd stand up and prevent her from going. She almost wished he would, simply because she was so stressed over what had happened.

Was still happening.

"No one," Kate said, and he let her go, her lie hanging in the air long after she left.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Honestly, Breath Play stumped me. I had no idea how I was going to do it, so I decided to have something that would build into next week's chapter that will feature some sort of Breath Play Post-Ep or Tie-In.


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